Govt will not accept any pre-condition for talks with Maoists: Home Minister
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, February 23, 2010
Govt. will not accept pre-conditions: Home Minister
Home Ministry formally responded to the Maoists talk offer on Monday. Home Minister P. Chidambaram made it clear that the government will not accept any pre-conditions for talks.
It asked the militants to come out with a simple statement saying they will abjure violence, without any ifs and buts.
Home Minister P Chidambaram said this in a statement, a day after the CPI(Maoists) made a conditional ceasefire offer asking the Government to halt the offensive against them for 72 days and involve mediators for talks.
He said Government has seen many versions of a statement reportedly made by the leaders of the CPI (Maoist).
The statement said, in the absence of an authentic statement, Government is unable to respond to these versions. Mr Chidambaram said he would like the statement to be faxed to Home Ministry number 011-23093155.
He said, once the statement is received, he will consult the Prime Minister and other colleagues and respond promptly.
Last night, top Maoist leader Kishenji told the media over phone from an undisclosed place that state governments and the Centre should not indulge in violence between February 25 and May 7 and concentrate on development of tribal areas which will be reciprocated by Maoists.
He was responding to Chidamabaram's statement last week that if the Maoists halted violence for 72 hours, the government would be ready for talks with them.
